On October 2nd, 2026 the results of the Excellence Commission – comprising representatives from the academic and political spheres – selected five new sites from among eleven universities and university consortia for long-term funding under the ‘Universities of Excellence’ funding programme.
Through this mechanism, Mainz has entered Germany’s top tier of research universities through its alliance with Frankfurt and Darmstadt bringing substantial research funding, prestige & opportunities for collaboration from 2027 onward!
RMU press release:
“Rhine-Main Universities successful in the Excellence Strategy
Funding serves to develop Frankfurt/Rhine-Main into a world-leading region of science
The Rhine-Main Universities (RMU) – the alliance of Goethe University Frankfurt, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and Technical University of Darmstadt – will receive funding in the high millions from 2027 as a University Excellence Consortium in the Excellence Strategy of the German federal and state governments. The alliance is now part of the 12 individual universities and three university alliances in Germany that have been awarded the title of University of Excellence. The RMU receive additional long-term funding from the federal government and from the states of Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate for their ambitious strategy to develop Frankfurt/Rhine-Main into a world-leading academic hub.
The proposal with which the RMU successfully applied to become a University Excellence Consortium is titled “RMU-EXCITE – Excellent. Collaborative. Transformative”. For the period until 2033, it sets out strategic goals that are closely interlinked: to promote strong, synergetic disciplines at the three universities; to empower a new generation of RMU researchers, students and experts who provide essential contributions to the future of research and society; to shape sustainable transformation together. The aim is to establish the RMU alliance as a world-leading hub for cutting-edge research that develops pioneering solutions for complex scientific and societal challenges. As a University Excellence Consortium, the three RMU universities stand for a research culture that creates a close connection between science and society by understanding dialogue, participation and collaborative knowledge creation as an integral part of scientific excellence.
A large number of strategic projects will be implemented as part of RMU-EXCITE, including strategic appointments, the further development of joint infrastructures for cutting-edge research, innovative degree programs, as well as additional offers for early career researchers and individuals with management responsibilities within the RMU and beyond.”
You can read the full press here
